133 


THE  LIBRARY 

OF 

THE  UNIVERSITY 
OF  CALIFORNIA 

Education 

GIFT  OF 

Mrs.  T.  M.   Gunn 


SUNNYBANK  STORIES. 


1.  MY  TEACHER'S  GEM. 

2.  THE  SCHOLAR'S  WELCOME. 

3.  GOING-  TO  SCHOOL. 

4.  THE  GOOD  SCHOLAR. 

5.  UNCLE  HENRY'S  STORIES.  . 

6.  THE  LIGHTHOUSE. 

7.  DOG  STORIES. 

8.  REWARD  OF  MERIT. 

9.  STORIES  FOR  ALICE. 

10.  AUNT  LIZZIE'S  STORIES. 

11.  MOTHER'S   STORIES. 

12.  GRANDPA'S  STORIES. 


12  volumes,  in  a  neat  box,  or  sold  separately. 


MY  TEACHER'S  GEM, 


LE 

: 


BOSTON: 
LEE    &    SHEPARD, 

149  WASHINGTON  STREET. 


m 


Entered,  according  to  Act  of  Congress,  in  the  year  1863,  by 
LEE  &  SHEPARD, 

In  tne  Cork's  Office  of  the  District  Court  of  the  District  of 
Massachusetts. 


Education 
GIFT 


MY  TEACHER'S  GEM. 


PURPOSES  FOR  THE  FUTURE. 

MOST  boys  are  fond  of  laying 
plans  —  they  have  many  purposes  for 
the  future.  I  remember  often  at 
school  we  used  to  talk  of  what  we 

Iuld  be,  what  we  would  do,  when 
;        075    (7) 


8  MY-  TEACHER'S  GEM. 

we  were  men.  Sometimes  several 
of  us  boys  would  get  round  our 
teacher  at  recess,  as  you  see  in  the 
picture,  and  talk  over  our  purposes 
for  the  future.  One  would  be  a 
sailor,  another  a  goldsmith,  another 
a  pastry  cook,  and  another  a  soldier. 
I  do  think  the  boy  who  purposed 
to  be  a  pastry  cook  loved  sugar,  and 
the  intended  goldsmith  was  fond  of 
the  glitter  of  gold,  i  Yet,  if  I  recol- 
lect aright,  not  one  of  these  boys  be- 
came what  he  purposed :  the  sailor  is 
a  smith,  and  the  pastry  cook  a  bank- 
er's clerk ;  the  soldier  is  a  shop- 
keeper, and  the  goldsmith  a  draper. 
Their  purposes  never  did  them  any 
good  —  they  never  did  what  they 
purposed. 

It  would  be  useful  to  see  how  many 


MY    TEACHER'S    GEM. 

kinds  of  purposes  there  are.     I  could 
mark  down  three. 

1.  A  purpose  of  the  head. 

2.  A  purpose  of  the  tongue. 

3.  A  purpose  of  the  heart. 

I  will  try  and  remember  a  little 
story  for  each. 

Henry  was  the  one  of  my  com- 
panions who  had  most  purposes  in  his 
head.  He  was  a  clever  boy,  about 
my  own  age ;  but  he  knew  it,  and 
never  would  exert  himself.  He  was 
careless  about  his  lessons,  and  never 
used  to  look  at  some  of  them  till  he 
was  in  the  school  room ;  yet  he  pur- 
posed to  gain  the  first  prize  in  his 
class.  He  did  rfot  say  much  about  it, 
but  he  evidently  took  it  for  granted 

it  it  would  easilv  be  his.     Weeks 


that  it  w 


10          MY  TEACHER'S 


and  months  passed  away,  and  fre- 
quently Henry  suffered  for  his  care- 
lessness. Boys  who  were  not  his 
equals  got  and  kept  ahead  of  him  by 
their  superior  application.  The  mas- 
ter used  to  tell  Henry  that  he  would 
regret  his  negligence  ;  and  then  for  a 
few  days  Henry's  talents  were  applied, 
and  he.  regained  his  place  :  but  it 
did  not  last;  his  indolence  prevailed, 
and  again  he  relapsed.  The  session 
drew  to  a  close.  Most  of  the  boys 
now  doubted  whether  Henry  would 
come  off  first.  The  competitions 
took  place,  and  each*  boy  lodged  his 
papers.  Henry  did  exert  himself 
then,  but  it  was  too  late.  Before  the 
assembled  school  the  names  of  the 
successful  competitors  were  read. 
Henry's  name  stood  third.  His  pur- 


MY  TEACHER'S  GEM.  11 

pose  was  not  of  the  heart,  but  just  of 
the  head,  and  nothing  came  of  it.  He 
purposed,  but  he  did  not  do. 

There  was  another  boy  older  than 
Henry  at  the  school,  whose  purposes 
were  all  on  his  tongue.  You  never 
could  be  long  beside  him  without 
hearing  him  tell  what  he  could  do. 
It  did  not  matter  whom  you  were 
speaking  of,  or  what  they  had  done ; 
Richard  could  do  more.  Little  boys, 
the  first  week  they  were  at  the  acad- 
emy, looked  up  to  Richard  with  much 
reverence,  for  they  believed  what  he 
said  of  himself;  but  the  second  week 
they  knew  him  better ;  for,  though 
his  tongue  spoke  of  great  things,  he 
did  very  little  ;  and  in  a  few  weeks 
longer,  they  found  out  that  Richard 
,ras  a  boaster,  a  vain  bragger,  who 


12 

gave  his  tongue  all  the  work  that  his 
head,  feet,  and  hands  should  have 
done  :  all  his  purposes  were  on  his 
tongue,  but  he  never  performed  them. 
James  Ferrier  was  very  unlike 
either  of  these  boys.  His  father  was 
a  poor  man,  and  James  was  despised 
by  many  of  the  boys,  when  he  came 
among  them,  because  his  jacket  was 
coarse,  and  his  dress  clumsily  made ; 
but  he  cared  not.  Quietly  and  calmly 
he  took  his  seat  in  the  class  where 
Henry  was,  and  though  he  had  been 
two  years  shorter  time  at  Latin  than 
the  other  boys  of  the  class,  it  was  he 
whose  name  stood  first  on  the  list, 
when  Henry  stood  third.  He  had  no 
tutor  at  home  to  help  him ;  he  had 
for  to  walk  to  the  class ;  and  his  time 
for  his  lessons  was  shortened  by  duties 


MY  TEACHEK'S  GEM.          13 

lie  had  to  do  at  home.     Still  James 
succeeded,  because  he  had  a  purpose 
in  his  heart  —  he  did  not  think  about 
it  — he  did  not  speak  about  his  pur- 
pose, but  he  did  it ! 
*  Which   of  these   three   boys  was 
most  like  Daniel  ?     Which  of  these 
.  #oy>s  is  most  like  you  ?     A.  purpose 
in  the  heart  is  like  a  spring  of  water ; 
.  you  may  stern  it  up  at  one  spot,  but 
'"'it  will  burst  out  at  another  —  it  will 
be  done  !    Let  the  purpose  of  your 
heart  be  that  you  will  not  sin,  and 
you  will  be  great,  and  good  too. 


14          MY  TEACHER'S  GEM. 


THE  LOST   SIXPENCE. 

THIS  boy  has  just  found  a  piece  of 
money  that  some  one  has  dropped  by 
the  way.  What  will  he  do  about  it  ? 
Will  he  try  to  find  the  owner,  or  will 


MY  TEACHER'S  GEM.  15 


he  put  it  into  his  pocket,  and  say 
nothing  about  it  ?  Read  what  John, 
another  boy,  did  when  he  found  a 
sixpence ;  see  if  he  did  not  pursue 
the  better  and  the  safer  way. 

John  V — —  had  been  received 
into  a  house  of  business,  where  he 
expected  to  remain  many  years,  and 
learn  the*trade.  Being  the  youngest 
boy,  it  fell  to  him  to  sweep  the  place 
out  every  morning.  ^One  morning, 
just  as  he  was  about  finishing  his 
task,  and  was  about  pushing  off  into 
the  gutter  the  scraps  and  dirt  which 
he  had  swept  out  upon  the  pavement, 
a  gentleman  passing  stooped  down, 
and,  picking  up  a  sixpence  from  the 
rubbish,  said,  "  See  here,  my  little  fel- 
low ;  you  sweep  out  money  as  well  as 
dirt.  Look  'at  this  bright  sixpence 


16  MY  TEACHER'S  GEM. 

which  I  picked  up  out  of  your  pile. 
Put  it  in  your  pocket,  and  next  time 
keep  a  sharper  lookout."  So  saying, 
the  gentleman  passed  on  rapidly,  and 
had  turned  the  corner  before  John 
could  recover  from  his  surprise  suffi- 
ciently to  give  any  answer. 

With  what  care  he  examined  every 
particle  of  rubbish  before  sweeping  it 
into  the  gutter,  so  as  to  be  sure  that 
no  other  sixpences  or  valuables  of 
any  kind  were  there !  The  work 
being  at  length  completed,  he  put  up 
his  broom,  and  began  to  think  what 
he  should  do.  Sixpences  were  not 
thick  in  John's  pockets.  It  was  rarely 
that  he  had  one  which  he  could  call 
his  own.  The  small  amount  which  he 
received  weekly  from  his  employer 
went  directly  and  unbroken  every 


MY  TEACHER'S  GEM.  17 

Saturday  night  into  his  mother's 
hands.  It  was  all  needed,  and  much 
more,  to  pay  for  his  clothing  and  his 
share  of  the  expenses  of  the  family. 
But  here  was  a  sixpence  beyond  the 
usual  weekly  amount.  To  most  per- 
sons it  may  seem  a  small  affair,  but  it 
was  quite  a  treasure  to  John.  Be- 
sides this,  on  the  next  Saturday  he 
had  been  promised  a  half-holiday. 
He  was  very  anxious  to  go  a-fishing 
with  some  of  his  youthful  acquaint- 
ances ;  but  he  had  no  hook  and  line, 
and  the  other  things  necessary  for 
the  sport.  Here  were  the  means  of 
supplying  his  wants  without  break- 
ing in  upon  his  wages. 

"But,"  thought  John,  "what  a 
simpleton  I  am  to  be  thinking  of 
these  things!  The  sixpence  is  not 


18  MY  TEACHER'S  GEM. 

mine.  True,  the  gentleman  who 
picked  it  up  gave  it  to  me,  and  told 
me  to  keep  it.  But  mother  has  told 
me  often  that  finding  a  thing  does  not 
make  it  mine.  The  thing  still  belongs 
to  the  one  who  has  lost  it.  The  gentle- 
man professed  to  give  it  to  me.  But 
it  was  not  his  to  give.  It  is,  there- 
fore, no  more  mine  than  if  I  had 
picked  it  up  myself  among  the  rub- 
bish. If  I  keep  this  money,  without 
trying  diligently  to  find  the  owner,  it 
will  be  just  as  dishonest  as  if  I  stole 
it.  This  rubbish,  in  which  the  six- 
pence was  found,  came  from  the  office. 
Very  likely  some  of  the  clerks,  in 
putting  change  into  the  drawer,  may 
have  dropped  this  piece  upon  the 
floor.  Perhaps  some  one  of  the  cus- 
tomers has  dropped  it ;  and,  by  making 


MY  TEACHER'S  GEM.  19 

a  little  inquiry,  the  owner  may  be 
found.  At  any  rate,  the  money  is 
not  mine.  Even  if  no  owner  can  be 
found,  it  belongs  to  my  master,  not 
to  me." 

John's  resolution  was  fixed.  He 
saw  the  whole  thing  so  clearly,  that 
he  could  not  hesitate  a  moment  as  to 
what  he  ought  to  do.  J$o  sooner  had 
his  employer  reached  the  shop,  and 
gone  into  his  counting  house,  than 
John  followed  him  with  the  sixpence, 
and  told  the  story  of  how  he  came 
by  it. 

The  merchant  was  much  pleased  to 
find  he  had  such  an  honest  boy  in  his 
service.  He  did  not  give  the  boy 
back  the  sixpence,  as  many  would 
have  done,  because  it  would  have 
made  the  boy  feel  that  he  was  being 


20          'MY  TEACHER'S  GEM. 

paid  for  his  honesty.  John,  however, 
was  made,  in  various  little'  ways,  to 
feel  that  his  employer  looked  upon 
him  with  trust,  which  was  a  much 
sweeter  reward  than  money ;  and  it 
led  to  his  rapid  promotion  in  the 
house,  and  laid  the  foundation  of  his 
fortune.  The  sixpence,  in  fact,  had 
not  been  lost  at  all.  The  gentleman 
who  pretended  to  pick  it  up  was  a 
friend  of  the  merchant,  who  took 
this  means  of  testing  the  boy's  hon- 
esty. 

The  result  was  more  to  the  boy's 
credit  than  the  man's.  For  the  man 
said  that  he  had  found  the  money, 
which  was  not  true.  Besides,  the 
mode  taken  to  test  the  boy's  honesty 
was  rather  a  temptation  to  him  to  be 
dishonest,  and  might  have  been  the 


MY    TEACHEK  S    GEM. 


21 


means  of  undermining  his  principles, 
if  he  had  not  been  unusually  well 
trained. 

This  story  is  strictly  true  in  every 
particular. 


22  MY  TEACHER'S  GEM. 


CRUEL   BOYS. 

"  O,  WHAT  a  shame  !  "  a  kind  child 
may  be  ready  to  say  on  looking  at 
this  picture.  You  see  these  boys, 
little  as  they  are,  have  hard  and  cruel 


MY  TEACHER'S  GEM.  23 

hearts.  They  have  been  robbing  a 
happy  little  bird  family  of  one  of  the 
young  ones;  and  now  they  will  so 
hurt  it  that  it  will  die,  or  they  will 
let  it  starve  to  death.  And  they  have 
robbed  another  pair  of  birds  of  their 
nest  and  eggs.  How  unhappy  must 
all  these  birds  now  be !  and  how 
wicked  it  is  to  give  such  needless 
pain  to  any  of  God's  creatures !  No 
kind  child  can  think  of  hurting  a  dear, 
innocent  little  bird.  But  those  who 
delight  in  such  sport  will  very  likely 
grow  up  to  be  capable  of  injuring 
their  fellow-men  in  the  various  ways 
of  which  we  so  often  hear  and  read. 
Let  us  be  kind  to  every  thing  that 
lives. 

And  this  isn't  the  whole  story  about 
these  wicked  boys,    Don't  you  see 


24  MY  TEACHER'S  GEM. 

they  are  in  a  quarrel,  how  they  shall 
divide  what  they  have  so  cruelly 
stolen  from  the  poor  birds  ?  Ah,  that 
is  the  way  in  doing  wrong  —  one 
wrong  step  leads  on  to  another ;  and 
robbing  birds'  nests  does  not  usually 
go  alone  —  a  quarrel,  or  some  other 
wickedness,  usually  follows  it.  Be- 
ware, then,  of  the  beginnings  of 
cruelty  and  wickedness. 


MY  TEACHER'S  GEM.  25 


PRAYER. 


Go  when  the  morning  shineth, 
Go  when  the  moon 'is  bright, 

Go  when  the  eve  declineth, 
Go  in  the  hush  of  night, 


26  MY  TEACHER'S  GEM. 

Go  with  pure  mind  and  feeling, 
Send  earthly  thoughts  away, 

And  in  thy  chamber  kneeling, 
Do  thou  in  secret  pray. 

Hemember  all  that  love  thee, 
All  who  are  loved  by  thee  ; 
And  pray  for  those  that  hate  thee, 

If  any  such  there  be. 
Then  for  thyself,  in  meekness, 
'  A  blessing  humbly  claim, 
And  join  with  each  petition 
Thy  great  Redeemer's  name. 


MY  TEACHER'S  GEM.  27 


CAREFUL   SUSAN. 

I  AM  a  little  girl,  but  am  growing 
larger  every  year ;  and  by  and  by  I 
hope  to  be  more  useful  than  I  am 
now. 

Father  works  hard  out  in  the  fields, 
and  mother  works  hard  at  home,  for 
she  has  a  great  deal  to  do  among  so 
many  of  us.  What  a  number  of 
pennies  it  must  take  to  buy  all  our 
clothes,  and  bonnets,  and  shoes !  and 
then  our  breakfasts  and  dinners ! 

I  cannot  work  and  get  money  to 
buy  a  loaf,  but  I  take  care  not  to  waste 
a  single  crumb;  let  the  crust  be  as 
hard  as  it  will,  I  eat  it  all  up. 

If  I  can't  buy  wood  and  candles,  I 
take  care  not  to  waste  them.  I  am 
too  little  to  poke  the  fire  and  to  snuff 


I 
28  MY  TEACHER'S  GEM. 

the  candle ;  mother  says  I  might  set 
my  clothes  all  in  a  blaze. 

I  don't  know  how  much  mother 
paid  for  my  last  shoes  ;  it'took  all  the 
money  at  the  corner  of  the  cupboard ; 
so  I  take  care  not  to  get  into  the  wet 
and  dirt,  that  my  shoes  may  last  the 
longer. 

I  have  had  my  bonnet  a  long  while 
now.  I  never  swing  it  about  by  the 
strings,  nor  crush  it  up  together,  nor 
leave  it  lying  about ;  and  mother  says 
that  is  the  reason  it  has  lasted  so 
long. 

I  have  not  got  many  playthings, 
for  they  would  cost  money,  and  wear 
out ;  so  I  play  with  the  birds,  and 
they  never  cost  any  thing,  and  never 
wear  out. 

Mother  says  time  is   as  good  as 


29 

money,  and  that  if  I  cannot  help  hep 
much,  I  should  not  hinder  her  by  be- 
ing untidy ;  so  I  keep  every  thing 
about  me  as  tidy  as  I  can.  I  put  my 
little  chair  in  the  corner  when  I  have 
done  with  it,  that  nobody  may  tumble 
over  it.  ,  I  try  to  learn  to  sew  a  little. 
Many  a  time  mother  has  sent  me  with 
father's  dinner  into  the  fields.  It 
would  never  do  for  mother  to  go,  and 
carry  baby  too,  while  I  was  doing 
nothing.  Sometimes  I  go  over  to 
the  shop  on  an  errand,  so  that  if  I  get 
nothing,  I  try  to  save  something,  and 
mother  says  that  is  the  same  thing. 

O,  I  forgot  to  tell  you,  that  when 
I  sit  on  my  little  stool,  mother  often 
puts  baby  into  my  lap.  I  hold  him 
as  carefully  as  I  can ;  and  when  he 
smiles,  I  kiss  him,  and  that  makes 


30  MY  TEACHER'S  GEM. 

him  smile  again.  Mother  says  in  time 
I  can  take  care  of  him  very  prettily, 
but  I  can't  toss  him  about  as  she 
does. 

Mother  says  that  before  another 
year  has  gone  by,  she  will  get  me 
into  the  Sabbath  school;  and  if  she 
does,  I'll  try  to  be  always  in  time,  and 
mind  all  that  is  said  to  me. 

I  feel  sure  that  I  should  get  on ;  but 
mother  says  I  must  never  trust  my 
own  heart,  for  it  will  deceive  me.  I 
must  ask  God,  for  Jesus  Christ's  sake, 
to  pardon  all  my  sins,  and  help  me  in 
every  thing. 

I  know  that  mother  is  right,  and  I 
hope  I  shall  do  as  she  tells  me. 


31 


MASTER   SLEEPYHEAD.* 

MASTER  SLEEPYHEAD  has  gone  to 
school,  it  is  true.  But  look  at  him. 
How  much  better  is  it  to  be  at  school 
than  at  home,  if  he  is  going  to  drop 
one  book  on  the  floor,  and  go  to  sleep 
over  another  at  his1  'desk  ? 

He  probably  did  not  get  up  this 
morning  in  time  for  breakfast,  and 
then  had  to  hurry  to  school  without 
combing  and  brushing  his  hair ;  and 
so  he  is  here,  having  his  nap  out  that 
was  broken  off  by  the  breakfast  bell 
about  eight  o'clock  this  morning ! 

Ah,  Master  Sleepyhead,  that  will 
never  do.  Uncross  your  legs,  rub 
open  your  eyes,  and  take  your  books 
and  go  to  your  work.  Did  you  ever 
hear  of  a  boy  doing  much  in  the 

*  See  Frontispiece. 


32  MY  TEACHEE'S 


world  who  would  sleep  over  Iris  book 
in  school  ?  Did  Benjamin  Franklin, 
or  Daniel  Webster,  or  the  Bobbin 
Boy,  do  so  ?  Never. 

Well,  if  you  are  not  inclined  to 
rouse  yourself,  we  shall  say  no  more, 
but  leave  you  here  sound  asleep  for 
all  our  readers  to  stare  at.  Perhaps 
some  of  them  may  get  a  lesson  that 
will  be  of  great  service  to  them. 
When  they  see  how  stupid  it  looks 
for  a  boy  or  girl  to  sleep  in  school, 
they  may  resolve  never  to  be  there 
caught  napping. 

If  any  older  persons  should  happen 
to  look  at  the  picture  of  Master 
Sleepyhead,  they  can  judge,  perhaps, 
whether  it  is  any  worse  for  a  boy  to 
be  napping  at  school,  than  it  is  for  an 
older  person  to  be  napping  at  church. 


PARBOTS, 


THE  parrots  climb  through  thickest  trees, 
Where  only  birds  that  climb  can  go  ; 

They  peck  and  eat  just  what  they  please, 
But  three  times  more  away  they  throw  ; 

The  parrots  seem  to  have  a  taste 

For  great  extravagance  and  waste. 

Yes,  so  it  seems  ;  but  learn  to  mark 
How  God  makes  all  things  work  for  good ; 
3 


34  MY  TEACHER'S  GEM. 

The  little  twigs  and  bits  of  bark 

Around  the  trees  by  parrots  strewed, 
By  birds  and  little  mice  are  found, 
Who  come  and  eat  them  on  the  ground. 

The  parrots  scream,  as  if  to  tell 
Where  they  are  sitting  on  a  tree  ; 

This  scream  serves  as  a  dinner  bell 
For  all  their  pensioners  near  that  be 

Who  gladly  hear  their  noisy  voice 

And  in  their  benefits  rejoice. 

Children,  if  you  this  tale  admire, 
I  hope  you'll  here  instruction  find, 

And  when  you've  more  than  you  require, 
Rejoice  to  be  to  others  kind  ; 

Be  so,  because  by  God  'tis  taught, 

And  not,  like  parrots,  without  thought. 


MY  TEACHER'S  GEM. 


35 


WITHOUT  home,  without  friends, 
without  money,  poor  Joe  was  alone 
in  the  world.  He  had  never  known 
a  father's  care,  for  strong  drink  had 


36  MY  TEACHER'S  GEM. 

made  that  father  worse  than  a  brute 
before  it  sent  him  to  a  drunkard's 
grave  ;  he  had  never. known  a  moth- 
er's love,  for  her  last  feeble  smile 
was  given  to  him  in  his  first  hour. 
His  mother  was  dead.  And  so  Joe 
had  been  getting  his  living  how  he 
could,  and  very  hard  he  found  it  to 
live  at  all. 

Joe  had  never  been  taught  to  read  ; 
no  one  had  ever  taught  him  to  look 
up  to  the  Great  Father  in  heaven  ;  no 
one  had  ever  told  him  the  sweet  story 
of  Him  who  in  his  earthly  life  knew 
sorrow  and  privation,  and  could  say, 
"  The  foxes  have  holes,  and  the  birds 
of  the  air  have  nests,  but  the  Son  of 
man  hath  not  whefe  to  lay  his  head." 
If  Joe  had  ever  heard  of  him,  his 
thoughts  would  often  have  been  di- 


MY  TEACHER'S  GEM.  37 

rectecl  to  him  when  he  was  pinched 
with  hunger  and  frozen  with  cold, 
and  the  tempter  bade  him  do  some 
wicked  thing. 

JPory^Trairge  as  it  may  seem,  Joe 
had  the  fear  of  doing  wrong  within 
him  —  a  shrinking  from  those  rough 
associates  whose  lives  were  spent  in 
:lens  of  vice  and  prison  cells.  He 
could  starve  and  beg,  but  he  could 
not  steal ;  and  when  times  were  at 
the  worst  with  him,  there  was  some- 
thing always  kept  him  from  that. 

Sometimes  he  looked  at  the  quiet 
churches  with  a  strange  wonder,  curi- 
ous to  know  what  could  induce  so 
many  to  flock  together,  and  peeping 
in  sometimes,  when  the  beadle  was 
not  looking,  to  listen  to  the  solemn 
music,  or  to  the  voice  of  the  preacher. 


38  MY  TEACHEE'S  GEM. 

whose  language  had  no  meaning  for 
him. 

In  the  summer  time  Joe  fared  the 
best ;  but  when  the  winter  came, 
with  frost  and  snow,  and  the  cold 
bleak  wind,  he  suffered  much  —  how 
much,  those  who  have  always  been 
warmly  clothed,  well  fed,  and  com- 
fortably housed,  cannot  think. 

Well,  it  was  winter  time  —  cold, 
bleak,  dreary  —  a  time  for  roaring 
fires  and  snug  rooms,  and  Joe  was 
very  wretched.  He  had  not  tasted 
food  all  the  day,  and  there  seemed 
but  small  prospect  of  his  tasting  any 
that  night.  He  had  stood  with  a 
miserable  crowd  outside  a  workhouse, 
hoping  to  fin.d  a  shelter  and  some 
bread ;  but  the  wards  were  full,  and 
there  was  no  room :  so  he  turned 


MY    TEACHEK  S    GEM. 


39 


away,  and  faced  the  cold,  bleak  wind) 
again  wondering  what  would  become 
of  him,  and  of  what  use  he  was  in  the 
world. 


"  I  don't  see  what  use  I  am  to  any 
body ;  nor  I  don't  see  what  use  any 
body  is  to  me.  I  suppose  if  I  was 


40  MY  TEACHER'S 


dead,  it  would  be  about  the  best  thing 
for  me.  You  don't  feel  the  cold  in 
the  grave,  and  you  are  not  hungry  or 
thirsty;  it  must  be  very  quiet.  Sup- 
pose I  was  to  die  somewhere  to- 
night ?  "  He  was  talking  to  himself 
in  a  low  voice,  and  leaning  on  his 
arm  against  a  post.  "  Suppose  I  was 
to  die  somewhere  to-night,  —  what 
then?" 

Just  as  he  said  this  he  heard  a  voice 
close  to  him,  saying,  "  Suppose  we 
were  both  to  die  somewhere  to-night, 
—  what  then?" 

He  looked  up,  and  saw  by  the  gas- 
light a  tall,  handsome-looking  gentle- 
man in  a  cloak. 

Surprise  was  the  first  effect  upon 
the  boy  ;  the  next,  the  hope  of  as- 
sistance. 


MY  TEACHER'S  GEM.  41 

"Spare  a  copper,  sir;  I  have  not 
had  a  morsel  of  bread  since  yester- 
day." 

"  Poor  boy !  take  this."  The  gen- 
tleman placed  a  shilling  in  his  hand. 
"But  tell  me,  how  is  it  you  and  I 
are  so  much  alike  ?  " 

"  You  and  I  alike,  sir  ? "  the  boy 
answered,  staring  at  him  in  sur- 
prise. 

"  Yes,  alike.  I  heard  you  saying  to 
yourself,  c  I  am  no  use  to  any  body ; 
nobody  is  any  use  to  me.'  I  feel  that 
also ;  and  suppose  we  died  to-night, 
—  what  then  ?  "Would  the  world 
miss  either  of  us  ?  " 

"  It  would  not  miss  me,  sir,"  said 
the  boy, "  except  that  it  might  be  glad 
to  be  rid  of  me  ;  but " 

"  It  might  miss  me,  you  think ;  no 


42  MY  TEACHER'S  GEM. 

such  thing,  boy.  I  have  no  friend,  no 
purpose  in  life  ;  I  am  of  no  use  to  any 
body,  and  nobody  is  of  any  use  to 
me." 

The  boy  looked  up  into  the  gentle- 
man's face,  and  thought  he  saw  some- 
thing in  the  flushed  cheek  and  glitter 
of  the  eye  which  he  had  observed  in 
a  coarser  and  stronger  form  when  his 
own  father  had  been  spending  his 
earnings  at  the  public  house  ;  he  con- 
cluded, and  not  without  reason,  that 
the  gentleman  had  been  drinking. 
He  was  frightened,  and  wished  to  get 
away. 

"  Thank  you,  sir ;  thank  you,  and 
bless  you  for  your  kindness  :  you  have 
saved  a  poor  boy  from  starving ;  and 
so,  if  I  may  make  so  bold,  you  are 
of  use  to  somebody." 


MY  TEACHER'S  GEM.  43 

"Ah! "said  the  gentleman,  in  a 
strange,  moody  way,  "  saved  you  from 
starvation,  that  you  may  live  a  little 
longer  to  plague  the  world  —  thieve, 
lie,  swear  —  eh  ?  " 

"  I  hope  not,  sir." 

"  Why  should  you  hope  not  ?  No- 
body in  the  world  cares  for  you; 
you  care  for  nobody  in  the  world." 

"I  should  like  to  care  for  some- 
body, and  to  do  something,"  the  boy 
replied,  "  but  I  don't  know  how." 

"  Now  this  is  very  strange,"  talking 
to  himself ;  "this  boy  would  like  to 
care  for  somebody ;  so  should  I :  he 
would  like  to  do  something ;  so  should 
I :  he  don't  know  how  ;  I  don't  know 
how  either !  Look  here,  boy  —  you 
and  I  are  alike " 

"O,  no,  sir!" 


44  MY  TEACHEK'S  GEM. 

"O,  yes!  I  say  we  are.  You. and 
I  should  know  each  other  better. 
You  are  your  own  master  ?  no  one  to 
consult  ?  " 

«  No  one." 

"  Come  with  me,  then." 

"  Where,  sir  ?  " 

«  Home ! " 

The  boy  hesitated. 

"You  have  nothing  to  fear;  you 
shall  be  well  cared  for.  I  am  not 
quite  myself  to-night,  but  I  mean 
what  I  say  to  you  :  come  with 
me." 

So  Joe  followed  the  strange  gentle- 
man out  of  the  narrow  ]ane  into  a 
broad  street.  There  the  gentleman 
called  a  coach,  put  the  boy  in,  stepped 
in  himself,  and  away  they  drove  into 
a  part  of  London  which  was  strange 


MY  TEACHER'S  GEM, 


to  Joe.     The  gentleman  did  not  talk 
at  all  during  the  ride,  and  when  they 


46  MY  TEACHER'S  GEM. 

reached  its  end,  at  the  cabman's  knock, 
a  large  door  was  opened  by  a  man  in 
livery.  He  told  Joe  te  get  out,  and 
got  out  himself. 

"  Here,  Blazer,"  he  said  to  the  man 
in  livery;  "see  this  boy  .properly 
looked  to  and  comfortably  lodged." 

"  By  a  policeman,  sir  ?  "  said  Blazer. 

"  By  yourself,  sir,  or  by  somebody 
who  can  see  to  it  better." 

"  Really,  sir  - 

An  indignant  glance  from  the  gen- 
tleman; and  Blazer,  under  protest, 
took  Joe  down  into  the  kitchen ;  and 
Joe  now,  for  the  first  time  in  his  life, 
had  a  full  meal,  a  good  wash,  and  a 
warm  bed.  He  was  very  grateful  — 
grateful  to  the  gentleman,  grateful  to 
something  or  some  one;  it  was  a 
mystery  to  him,  but  he  recollected 


47 

words  that  he  had  once  heard  about 
a  Great  Being  who  openeth  his  hand 
and  satisfieth  the  desire  of  every  liv- 
ing thing. 

Now,  it  would  be  interesting  to  tell 
you  how  Joe  gradually  prospered,  and 
how  the  gentleman  continued  his 
kindness  towards  him,  to  mention  a 
great  variety  of  circumstances  con- 
nected with  Joe's  strange  adventure ; 
but  there  is  not  space.  The  principal 
thing  is  this :  Joe  was  useful  to  the 
gentleman,  and  the  gentleman  was 
useful  to  Joe.  The  gentleman  pos- 
sessed large  property,  was  young  and 
handsome  and  clever,  and  he  had  led 
a  wild,  careless  life,  plunging  into  all 
sorts  of  excesses,  drinking  and  gam- 
bling, and  mixing  with  bad  charac- 
ters, until  he  was  thoroughly  wearied, 


48  MY  TEACHER'S 


and  longed  for  something  better.  It 
was  when  he  was  in  this  frame  of 
mind  that  he  met  Joe,  that  he  over- 
heard the  poor  child  saying,  "I  am 
of  no  use  to  any  body;  nobody  is  of 
any  use  to  me  :  what  would  it  matter 
if  I  died  ?  "  These  words  were  but 
the  expression  of  his  own  thoughts  ; 
and  they  were  the  means,  in  the 
providence  of  God,  of  awakening 
better  desires  and  of  leading  to  the 
brightest  results.  The  gentleman 
found  Joe  honest  and  truthful,  and 
deeply  grateful.  There  seemed  about 
the  boy  an  innate  goodness;  and  when 
the  gentleman  talked  to  him  seriously, 
he  listened  with  so  much  attention, 
that  the  simple  truths  which  his  pro- 
tector told  him,  were  all  the  more 
impressed  on  the  gentleman  himself, 


from  the  manner  in  which  the  child 
received  them. 

4 


50  MY  TEACHER'S 


From  the  first  day  of  Joe's  settle- 
ment in  the  house  of  his  strange  pa- 
tron, that  gentleman  began  a  new  life. 
The  old  habits  were  given  up,  the 
old  companions  forsaken  ;  he  had 
found  something  in  which  he  could 
usefully  employ  his  time  and  his 
wealth  —  something  which  would 
make  the  world  better  and  his  own 
life  valuable.  He  engaged  in  all  the 
good  works  begun  and  carried  on 
for  the  benefit  of  the  poor,  the  igno- 
rant, and  the  vicious,  ,and  was  the 
means  of  doing  a  great  amount  of 
good. 

As  for  Joe,  he  grew  up  to  be  a 
clever,  virtuous,  industrious  man  :  the 
gentleman  sent  him  to  school,  then 
apprenticed  him  to  a  mechanical  busi- 
ness, and  has  lately  assisted  him  to 


MY  TEACHEK'S  GEM.  51 

set  np  in  business  for  himself.  Both, 
in  their  different  positions,  are  work- 
ing in  the  good  cause  of  religious 
and  moral  progress,  and,  as  his  old 
friend  said  to  him  the  other  night,  — 
"  We  are  still  alike,  Joe ;  but  how 
unlike  what  we  were  that  wintry 
night  when  we  first  met !  Somebody 
does  care  for  us  now,  Joe,  and  we 
care  for  somebody,  and  are  of  use  to 
somebody ;  and  if  we  died  to-night, 
we  should  be  missed,  Joe,  and  it 
would  matter  to  the  world  ;  but  then 
how  bright  is  our  hope  to  what  it  was 
then  —  a  bright  hope  of  a  world  be- 
yond this,  of  which  we  then  knew 
nothing ! " 


52 


TEACHEKS  GEM. 


PET  LAMB. 

MY  own  pet  lamb,  I  long  to  be 
From  envy,  pride,  and  anger  free, 
Quiet,  and  mild,  and  meek,  like  thee  — 
My  own  pet  lamb. 

I  long  to  know  my  Shepherd's  voice, 
To  make  his  pleasant  ways  my  choice, 
And  in  the  fold,  like  thee,  rejoice  — 
My  own  pet  lamb. 


MY  TEACHER'S  GEM.  53 


THE   STARS  AND   STRIPES. 

Is  there  one  of  our  readers  who 
does  not  love  this  beautiful  ensign  of 
our  country  ?  How  gracefully  its 
long  folds  of  red  and  white  float  in 
the  gentle  gale,  bearing  on  their 
bosom  that  cluster  of  shining  stars ! 
A  truant  few  of  this  bright  constella- 
tion have  enveloped  themselves  in  a 
cloud ;  but  we  hope  ere  long  to  see 
the  cloud  remove,  that  all  alike  may 


54  MY  TEACHER'S  GEM. 

sparkle  in  the  clear  sunlight.  Does 
any  one  ask,  Why  do  you  think  so 
much  of  a  flag  f  Because  it  is  the"* 
symbol  of  our  country.  Every  na- 
tion loves  its  banner.  Surely  none  is 
more  beautiful  than  ours:  it  repre- 
sents the  spirit  of  our  land  —  liberty 
and  advancement.  What  more  free 
than  the  stars,  that  wander  unchained 
through  the  heavens?  What  more  ex- 
pressive of  improvement  and  future 
glory  than  the  broad  streaks  of  red 
and  white  along  the  eastern  sky  at 
break  of  day  ? 

Under  this  same  banner,  Washing- 
ton led  our  brave  revolutionary  fa- 
thers through  hardships  and  dangers, 
through  defeat  and  victory,  to  a  glo- 
rious independence.  Through  many 
years  of  peace  it  has  waved  with 


MY  TEACHER'S  GEM.  55 

honor  over  this  broad  land,  and  pro- 
tected its  citizens  in  foreign  countries 
'and  on  every  sea. 

It  is  to  save  this  flag,  so  dear  to  the 
heart  of  every  true  lover  of  liberty, 
from  dishonor,  and  to  preserve  the 
government  which  it  represents,  that 
your  fathers  and  brothers,  uncles, 
cousins,  and  a  host  of  valiant  men> 
have  taken  up  arms. 

We  hope  and  expect  soon  to  see 
the  honor  of  our  flag  vindicated,  and 
peace  restored  throughout  the  length 
and  breadth  of  our  fair  country. 

Boys,  when  you  come  to  be  men, 
be  sure  and  remember  the  sacrifices 
of  life  and  property  that  have  been 
made,  that  you  may  continue  under 
the  powerful  protection  of  the  Stars 
and  Stripes.  And  should  any  wicked 


56  MY  TEACHER'S  GEM. 

hand  attempt  to  trample  in  the  dust 
this  symbol  of  our  power,  look  at 
your  fathers'  example,  and  courageous- 
ly defend  the  flag.  And  whether  in 
peace  or  war,  may  you  all  be  found 
under  that  higher  and  more  enduring 
standard  of  the  Cross.  If  you  fol- 
low closely  after  Christ,  the  great 
Captain  of  his  people,  fighting  ear- 
nestly against  every  thing  that  would 
deprive  you  of  the  safe  protection  of 
this  banner,  you  will  come  off  con- 
querors, and  the  rewards  of  that  vic- 
tory will  be  "  eternal  life." 


MY  TEACHER'S  GEM.  57 


THE  DOVE. 

• 

IN  the  days  of  N"oah  the  world 
was  very  wicked.  The  people  sinned 
as  if  there  were  no  God  to  be  feared. 
They  lived  to  be  so  old,  that  they 
forgot  they  should  die.  But  they  did 


58  MY  TEACHER'S  GEM. 

die,  and  at  a  time  when  they  thought 
no  danger  was  near  to  them. 

We  may  suppose  that  it  is  a 
lovely  morning.  The  sun  shines  in 
the  sky,  and  the  flowers  adorn  the 
earth. 

Old  and  young  rise  from  their  beds 
and  think  that  the  day  will  be  spent 
as  other  days  have  been. 

But  what  is  that  black  spot  in  the 
sky?  Is  it  only  a  small  cloud  that 
will  soon  pass  away?  O,  no.  See, 
it  grows  large  and  dark,  and  the  rain 
begins  to  pour. 

Rain,  rain,  hour  after  hour,  —  all 
night,  all  day,  it  rains.  A  week 
passes  away,  and  then  another,  until 
six  weeks  come  and  go,  and  still  it 
rains.  It  is  such  a  rain  as  was  never 
seen  before.  All  the  rivers,  seas,  and 


MY  TEACHER'S  GEM.  59 

fountains  also,  cast  up  their  waters. 
There  is  water  from  above,  and  water 
from  below.  Soon  all  the  valleys  are 
full,  and  then  the  hills  are  covered.  A 
flood  is  on  the  earth. 

Where  are  the  wicked  people  now  ? 
They  are  all  dead. 

But  Noah  and  his  family  are  safe. 
They  are  shut  in,  by  God  himself, 
in  an  ark,  or  large  house,  that  can 
float  on  the  waters. 

What  a  state  for  them  to  be  in  ! 
Alone  on  the  flood,  and  all  beneath 
them  dead !  As  they  look  out  of  a 
little  window  in  the  ark,  and  see 
the  wide  waters,  do  they  think  that 
they  shall  never  see  the  green  earth 
again?  Noah  does  not  fear.  He 
knows  that  God,  who  told  him  to 
make  the  ark,  can  keep  him  safely 


60  MY  TEACHER'S  GEM. 

while  in  it,  and  bring  him  out  again. 
He  has  faith ;  he  trusts  in  God. 

One  hundred  and  fifty  days  the  wa- 
ter has  been  over  the  earth,  and  then 
the  ark  rests  on  the  top  of  a  high  moun- 
tain ;  but  no  tree  nor  shrub  can  any 
where  be  seen.  There  is  nothing  but 
water,  water,  water  all  around. 

Noah  now  takes  a  raven,  and  lets 
it  fly  abroad,  to  see  if  it  can  find  any 
dry  ground.  But  it  does  not  come 
back  to  the  ark. 

Then  he  holds  in  his  hand  a  dove, 
and  sends  it  forth  to  see  if  it  can  find 
any  resting  place.  But  there  is  not 
a  green  spot,  or  a  leaf,  or  a  flower  to 
be  seen,  and  the  timid  little  thing 
returns,  weak  and  tired,  to  the'  ark. 
It  looks  in  at  the  window,  and  Noah 
puts  forth  his  hand  and  draws  it  in. 


MY  TEACHEE'S  GEM.  61 


We  think  we  hear  the  kind  words 
he  speaks  to  the  gentle  dove,  as  he 
smooths  its  weary  wings. 

Is  the  heart  of  Noah  now  sad  be- 
cause there  is  no  sign  of  the  waters 
passing  away?  No  ;  faith  and  hope 
are  not  at  an  end:  he  waits  God's 
time. 


62 

In  a  week  lie  opens  the  window 
again,  and  once  more  the  little  dove 
spreads  her  wings,  and  flies  over  the 
waters.  The  good  man  follows  it 
with  his  eye,  and  then  it  is  gone  out 
of  sight.  \  But  just  as  the  sunset 
sheds  a  golden  light  over  the  flood, 
a  speck  is  seen  in  the  sky.  It  is  the 
dove  flying  to  her  roost  in  the  ark ; 
and  see,  an  olive  leaf  is  in  her  mouth. 
It  is  not  a  dead,  dry  leaf,  but  a  bright 
and  glossy  one,  plucked  from  a  living 
olive  tree. 

O,  with  what  joy  do  Noah  and  his 
family  look  upon  that  leaf!  It  tells 
them  that  the  water  is  going  away, 
that  there  is  some  dry  spot  on  the 
earth,  and  that  the  olive  trees  have 
begun  to  put  forth  their  green  leaves. 

A  third  time  Noah  let  out  the  dove, 


MY  TEACHER'S  GEM.  63 

and  it  never  came  back ;  then  he  knew 
that  the  water  was  nearly  all  gone. 

Soon  after  this,  Noah  is  tofcl  to  go 
out  of  the  ark ;  and  he  and  his  family 
once  again  tread  on  dry  ground. 

When  we  see  a  gentle  dove,  with 
its  soft  eyes  and  lovely  wings,  we 
should  remember  that  a  dove  was  the 
bearer  of  glad  tidings  to  Noah  in  the 
ark.  When  sin  had  brought  a  flood 
over  the  old  world,  which  swept  away 
a  whole  race  of  men,  except  one 
family,  a  little  dove  seemed  to  say, 
"  God  is  mindful  of  his  people ;  he 
watches  over  those  who  love  him ; 
his  word  of  promise  is  sure." 

If  you  had  been  in  the  world  in  the 
days  of  Noah,  would  you  have  stood 
outside  the  ark,  and  joined  those  who 
mocked  the  good  man  as  he  went  in  ? 


64  MY  TEACHER'S  GEM. 

Or  would  you  have  been  saved  as  he 
was?  O,  yes,  you  say,  you  would 
have  done  as  he  did  ;  you  would  have 
gone  in  when  you  were  asked.  But 
how  is  it  now?  You  are  told  that  \ 
there  is  a  great  and  solemn  day  com- 
ing, when  God  will  destroy  the  world, 
not  by  water,  but  by  fire.  He  has 
made  known  a  way  by  which  you  can 
be  saved.  Jesus  Christ  is  our  Ark. 
You  are  told  to  go  to  him,  to  believe 
in  him.  You  have  heard  that  he  will 
save  all  those  who  seek  a  refuge  in 
him  by  faith.  Happy  will  you  be  if 
you  are  led  by  the  Holy  Spirit  to 
turn  from  all  sin,  and  to  find  safety  in 
Jesus.  As  there  was  only  one  ark, 
so  there  is  only  one  Saviour.  All  . 
who  are  not  found  in  him  must  be 
lost. 


